Equity Systems Consulting

?? March is here, and we’re kicking off a busy season of innovation, equity, and impact! ?? This spring, Equity Systems Consulting is hitting the road to bring inclusive innovation to MedTech, engineering, and tech spaces. Catch us at these upcoming events: ? NSBE 2025 & Academic Leadership Research Symposium (Mar 5-9, Chicago, IL) ? Biotech Workforce Development (Mar 11, Morgantown, WV) ? Advocacy Day (Mar 25, Harrisburg, PA) ? HIKE2 Innovation Summit – Speaking on inclusive product design (Mar 26-27, Pittsburgh, PA) ? STL TechWeek @ Breakthrough: A Health Innovation Symposium – Keynote: "Empowering Innovation: Integrating Design Justice into Engineering, Tech, and Medicine" (Mar 30-Apr 3, St. Louis, MO) ? Synergiiize Innovator’s Summit (Apr 3-6, Chapel Hill, NC) We work with MedTech & product teams, consumer health innovators, and decision makers from key organizations to build more equitable, responsible, and impactful solutions. ?? Let’s connect! Meet us at an event or book a consultation today. ?? [email protected] #InclusiveInnovation #MedTech #DesignJustice #EquityInTech #HealthcareInnovation

?? Exciting News from Equity Systems Consulting! We’re proud to share that our founder, Rene Canady has been selected as a participant in the Anvil Founder Coaching program! ?? This initiative—led by The CEO Strategy and InnovatePGH —is dedicated to supporting early-stage founders in Pittsburgh, providing coaching, strategic training, and office hours to help startups grow. Equity Systems Consulting is committed to inclusive innovation, and this opportunity will allow us to refine our approach, expand our impact, and continue helping MedTech teams design for equity and accessibility. ?? Read more about the program here: https://lnkd.in/gBCszHTX If you’re working on a MedTech, health, or socially impactful startup, let’s connect. Excited for what’s ahead! ?? #MedTech #Innovation #InclusiveDesign #Startups PS: We have no idea why ChatGPT loves rocket emojis so much, but have grown to love them so much that we now hand write them into our posts ˉ\_(ツ)_/ˉ

Without the work of Dr. King and the many people fighting in the civil rights movement, we wouldn’t exist. We acknowledge the legacy of this movement and several others, which form the backbone of the current fight for health has a human right, technology access, living wages, workforce equality and other freedoms. Happy belated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We honor your legacy and vision for a world rooted in justice and humanity. -ESC

#MedTechMonday: FDA's New Guidance on Sex Differences – A Step Toward Inclusive Design Justice ?? #FemTech ♀? and Design Justice in Action We’ve been incredibly inspired by the ongoing FemTech movement, watching as devices emerge with design justice at their core. When the FDA dropped a series of new guidances this month, one on sex differences caught our eye — and we just had to write a comment about it. We did all the reading on this draft guidance so you didn’t have to! The FDA’s Long-Overdue Focus on #SexDifferences The FDA’s increased focus on sex differences in research is a huge step forward — and this guidance is long overdue. But here’s where it gets important: when we look at sex differences research, we must think about the 3 to 6 MILLION people in the US (and even more globally) who have historically been excluded. I’m talking about intersex individuals and those receiving gender-affirming hormonal treatment and surgery, who don't fit neatly into the male/female biological binary. A Powerful Story from our Sociological Study of Bioengineering Labs #PLEASEREAD We first discovered the nuances of sex differences research during a 2 year study we did. One respondent shared how their lab chose to make an active stand for inclusivity. Instead of assuming all people with uteruses are female, they decided to use the term “people with uteruses” — specifically to include intersex individuals and those receiving gender-affirming treatments. This decision wasn’t just about language; it was about ensuring that their research could properly draw conclusions on the health of populations outside the sexual binary. In fact, this research was the ONLY one to take this approach of the five labs that looked at sex differences. The other labs stuck to the male/female binary, missing a critical opportunity to be more inclusive. This highlights just how crucial it is for research to not only represent all people but truly serve them. A Win for #Inclusivity, But There's More to Be Done The FDA’s new guidance is a big win for inclusive design, but we still have a long way to go. It’s not just about counting people; it’s about designing research that serves everyone. The future of sex differences research must go beyond inclusion — it must be centered on justice for all populations. Study can be found at https://lnkd.in/gSd5dU7U and the draft guidance can be found at https://lnkd.in/eggBFtBk #GenderAffirmingCare #PeopleWithUteruses

Happy #MedTechMonday folks! ?? Instead of our usual insights on MedTech, we’ve got a special announcement ??... Find out later this week!

Shoutout to our committed leaders willing to stand up for literacy and equity! As members of the coalition, we thank Alderman Rasheen Aldridge for your work!

So proud of our students for shining at the Fall 2024 Youth Civic Leadership Academy Research Symposium! Their innovative ideas and passion for creating real change left the room inspired. Thank you to everyone who came out to support these future leaders. As Sahar said, this is just the beginning! ?? #YouthEmpowerment #YouthCivicEngagement #BeTheChange

?? #MedTechMonday : Uncontrolled Design?? "Specifically, your firm did not conduct any design validation, risk analysis, or design reviews for the Class II XR-01 Portable X-ray System, despite having shipped the product to the U.S. since 2023." This warning highlights the critical importance of FDA-required processes like verification & validation, risk analysis, and design reviews. Rolence was cited for 4 out of the 5 the most common FDA violations as cited by AZ Technica. These steps are not just procedural—they’re essential to ensuring product safety, effectiveness, and compliance in the MedTech space. ? Why does this matter? Conducting these reviews isn’t just a box to check; it’s about protecting users, ensuring efficacy, and maintaining your company’s credibility in the U.S. market. The device is being sold here: https://lnkd.in/g27NpHan Notably, there weren't issues related to marketing. MedTech innovators, let’s make sure these steps are prioritized early in the design process to create safe, effective, and inclusive biodesign solutions. ?? #MedTechMonday #FDACompliance #DesignValidation #RiskAnalysis #BiodesignForAll

Jordyn and Rose are two leaders of their generation and have spent the whole semester working on community and civic engagement. Come see our students in action today!

?? #PharmaFriday: FDA Pushes Back on Misleading Xeomin Marketing ?? The FDA issued a stern warning about Xeomin's Instagram marketing, citing misleading practices like displaying risk information at unreadable speeds and ignoring serious risks despite prior warnings. This sets a precedent for social media advertising in pharma—innovative platforms still require rigorous compliance. It’s fascinating (and frustrating) to see companies risk regulatory actions instead of adapting their strategies responsibly. FDA’s decision to intervene highlights the critical need for accountability. Thoughts? Is Instagram the right fit for pharma ads? #MedTechMarketing #SocialMediaRegulation #PharmaEthics #AdvertisingStandards Read the details: https://lnkd.in/gZfK-e8R